I just finished covering the Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C. There is always a lot going on in the Nation’s Capital during this holiday.
But is it actually a holiday?
We do get a day off from work like any other holiday. People all over the country spend the day at picnics or at the beach. Many pools open for the summer over the Memorial Day weekend. There is a concert at the Capitol. For many is seems it is simply a long weekend of beach and beer and cookouts and concerts.
But if you hang out at any of the war memorials in D.C. or head over to Arlington National Cemetery it becomes evident quickly that for a large portion of the population, it is something much more. I stopped to think about it myself after reading “This Memorial Day, honoring a military that’s in isolation” by Washington Post Op-Ed columnist E.J. Dionne. He asks why every Memorial Day, a holiday set aside for honoring our war dead has become an occasion for beach-going, barbecues and baseball?
Anyway, it is hard to think about the beach or picnics when going to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to cover the candlelight vigil on Friday or the Rolling Thunder Ride to the Wall on Sunday. It is even harder on Memorial Day when covering families and friends of those who lost their lives in our wars as they walk through the hundreds of thousands of headstones at Arlington.
Here are some of what I think are by best images from the weekend. And just like Vice President Joe Biden was telling mothers and fathers of fallen soldiers that he was honored to meet them, but he wished it was not in a cemetery; I wish I was not pleased about these images.
Mother Jones picked up my image of President Barack Obama hugging Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) during the State of the Union Address on Capitol Hill Tuesday night. Giffords made only her second return to the House chamber since she was shot in the head last January and just one day before she is to resign [...]
Covering the President’s State of the Union Address (SOTU) at the U.S. Capitol is pretty cool. The event is full of pomp and pageantry but it is also the worst case example of hurry up and wait. Because of the heightened security surrounding the 9:00 p.m. event, it is best to arrive early and before [...]
Hundreds of members of the "Occupy" movement from across the country participate in the Occupy Congress rally on Capitol Hill, calling on lawmakers to have a greater focus on alleviating income inequalities.
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So well done. Cheers.
Grazie
Pete,
I haven’t been to your Web site in a while – and google can’t seem to distinguish between you and that basketball dude. But I cruised around your site today. Excellent work, as always!
Say hello to Jenny.
Dan
Hey Dan! Thanks. I will pass your hello onto Jenny.